Arizona Cardinals Team Report by Jason Wood
| Ari Projections (9/3) | Passing Stats | Rush Stats | Receiving Stats | Fantasy | |||||||||||
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Quarterbacks Starter - Jake Plummer Backups - Chris Griesen, Josh McCown Starting Quarterback: This is a watershed year for Plummer and the entire Cardinals organization. Plummer enters his sixth season as the unquestioned starter on a team that hasn't yet found its identity. Is Plummer a franchise caliber quarterback that can navigate the Cardinals back to the playoffs? Despite his physical talents, he hasn't put together an impressive full season yet. In his first five years Jake failed to pass for more than 18 TDs, but has thrown for more than 20 interceptions three times. That's the bad news, now onto the good news. Last season, Jake showed marked improvement and actually finished with a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio for the first time. He has also raised his accuracy three years running and enters this season in great shape with possibly his best collection of receivers ever. We expect Jake to continue his success this season and pass for at least 3,500 yards and close to 20 touchdowns. Plummer may be worth a look in deeper leagues as a starter but makes an ideal late round backup whom could surprise. Backup Quarterback(s): Regardless of whether Plummer is really a franchise quarterback, there's no question that the Cardinals are ill prepared to handle an injury to Jake this season. Veteran Chris Griesen serves as the backup while rookie Josh McCown will learn from the sidelines this season. Running Backs Starter - Thomas Jones Backups - Marcel Shipp, Josh Scobey Starting Running Back: Ready or not, Thomas Jones gets his opportunity to shine in 2002. After failing to keep the starting role in each of the last two seasons, Jones' main competition (Michael Pittman) was let go in the offseason, leaving the door wide open for Jones. Coming out of college Jones was considered a well rounded back capable of taking pounding inside or breaking gains on the outside. However, for a myriad of reasons, he hasn't lived up to his lofty draft position. The Arizona coaching staff believes that Jones' problems related to an issue with his breathing, and medical treatment has reportedly gotten rid of that issue. There are reasons for optimism in Arizona this season. In limited action last year, Jones rushed for five touchdowns (tying Pittman for the team lead in half the carries). He also caught 21 receptions in very limited playing time. This year, with an improved offensive line, Jones may finally live up to the hype. We are betting that Jones will make the most of his opportunity and rush for 1,000+ yards and at least 7 rushing touchdowns. He should approach 1,500 total yards thanks to frequent use as a receiver out of the backfield. Don't be afraid to take a chance on Jones as your RB2 in the early mid rounds. Backup Running Back(s): Backing up Jones are 2nd year man Marcel Shipp and rookie Josh Scobey. The coaching staff has sang their praises in camp, but one has to imagine that if Jones falters or is injured, the team will be scrambling for veteran help. Both bear watching in the future though. Fullback(s): Joel Mackovicka will be looked upon to provide solid lead blocking in this season's power running attack. Mackovicka is a very cerebral player but is somewhat limited in his ability to contribute offensively, outside of his blocking duties. He managed to catch 16 receptions last season, and may figure a bit more in that role with the departure of Michael Pittman. Clearly not a fantasy factor. Wide Receivers / Tight Ends Starters - David Boston, Frank Sanders Backups - MarTay Jenkins, Arnold Jackson, Jason McAddley, Bryan Gillmore Starting Receiver(s): David Boston has become one of the best receivers in the league, leading the NFL in receiving yardage last season with 1,598 yards. This season, offseason legal issues and chronic knee pain have raised a flag of caution, but Boston put a lot of those fears to rest when he scored on a 66-yard pass from Plummer in last week's preseason game. Opposite Boston will be Frank Sanders, entering his eighth year in the league. Sanders is an able possession receiver who has never been much of a scoring threat. Age and injuries have started to catch up with Sanders and his receptions and yards have declined for four years running. Nevertheless, look for him in the starting lineup unless injury derails him. Obviously Boston is an excellent option as a top fantasy receiver should you miss out on the Big 3 (i.e., Moss, Owens and Harrison) but steer clear of Sanders on draft day. Backup Receiver(s): Arizona plans on making the most of its young receiving corps this year in more spread formations, primarily to help create mismatches for Boston and newly acquired TE Freddie Jones. 3rd on the depth chart is MarTay Jenkins, a deep threat who averaged more than 16 yards per reception in 2001. MarTay may be worth keeping on the fantasy radar screen should Sanders go down with an extended injury. Rounding out the receiving corps are youngsters Bryan Gillmore, Arnold Jackson and Jason McAddley. Tight End(s): Freddie Jones, Dan Campbell Freddie Jones was signed in the offseason from the San Diego Chargers and provides a massive upgrade at a position that has been lacking in recent years. Although slowed by injury last season, Jones has been a receiving force in his first five years. As a rookie, he had more than 500 receiving yards and showed steady increases until last season. The Cardinals coaching staff is primed to work Jones into the passing game A LOT and we expect (should he stay healthy) Jones to be one of the top 5 fantasy tight ends this season. Place Kicker Bill Gramatica: Gramatica was on his way to a decent rookie season (16 of 20 FGs) when a silly post kick celebration cost him his season. He's back in practice but has yet to kick in preseason action. Rookie Tim Duncan has been inconsistent while filling in for Gramatica. From a fantasy perspective, don't jump on this bandwagon until you see if Bill is healthy and effective. Defense Arizona has defensive issues that should prevent the team from winning many games this season. The team lost its floor general for the second year in a row (Pat Tillman this year, Aeneas Williams the prior) and is massively overmatched on the defensive line. Overall, the team ranked 22nd in yards allowed in 2001 but their job gets no easier this season as they now must face the dynamic passing attacks of the Rams and 49ers twice. There may be some value if your league rewards points for the return game and does not penalize for too many points allowed, but otherwise, stay away. Coaching Dave McGinnis gets high marks from his peers in terms of enthusiasm and preparation. It appears as though he's doing the right thing in building the team from the ground up. His focus on the offensive line and establishing the running game will serve them well, if it can be accomplished. Not sure that McGinnis will be confused with Bill Walsh anytime soon, but it's likely that his impact on the team is a positive. Intangibles Arizona moves to a new division, the NFC West leaving behind familiar foes in Dallas, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. On one hand, the team can look at this as a new start considering the team's regular appearance at the bottom of the NFC East. However, Arizona's life gets no easier as they enter a division with two of the best teams in football (St. Louis and San Francisco) plus a hungry 'Holmgren-led' Seahawks squad. Another factor to consider is that the entire offensive team has A LOT to prove this year. Plummer, Boston, Jenkins and Sanders are all in contract years and Thomas Jones will likely be cut if he's not effective in 2002. Motivation can do strange things to people, this may be worth watching. |